False invoices, no returns, VAT avoidance among tax crimes

(ANSA) - Rome, January 23 - Financial police said Thursday
they found almost 52 billion euros of undeclared - and untaxed -
Italian revenues in 2013.

That included income and revenues that were earned but not
declared to tax authorities, as well as false expense claims,
police said.

Some 12,726 company officials are being investigated for
business-related tax offenses, including issuing or using false
invoices, and procedures have begun for the seizure of 4.6
billion euros, said financial police.

Of those, 202 officials have been arrested.
Last month the head of Italy's tax office, L'Agenzia delle
Entrate, said that an estimated 130 billion euros is evaded
annually in Italy.
According to the finance police, last year they discovered
8,315 evaders who concealed income or did not even file a tax
return, on 16.1 billion euros.
Almost one-third of the total earnings - about 15.1 billion
euros - came from international income including "transfers of
convenience" to tax havens as well as foreign-based companies'
income earned in Italy that is subject to taxation here.

Almost five billion euros were dodged by Italians avoiding
the value-added tax and more than 13,000 people were found to be
working "in nero" or outside the legal system, meaning their
work was not reported and they paid no tax.
Taxes were avoided on another 16 billion euros because of a
variety of different types of tax scams and dodges, officials
said.